Dealing with fatigue

Curious as to how some of the other players here deal with fatigue while playing. Specifically, I am talking about the extremely late stages of a tournament that has already been going on for 6+ hours, as obviously in a ring game you can just get up and leave.

I've noticed I tend to hit a wall around the 3-4 hour mark before my play really starts suffering, and was looking for advice as to how I can increase this (I literally developed a migraine headache one time about 5 hours into a tournament and basically just gave up).

Reminds me of some advice I saw to a young player planning to play in the WSOP. The advice to prepare? Get in shape, the days are long and if you stay in long you'll be playing for over a week 16 hours a day (I think that's right, whatever it is it's a lot). Do some running like he was preparing for a marathon. Poker is tough to play for a long time, because it requires a lot of mental concentration.

Physically, I'm not sure there's much more I can do. I am pretty health conscious when it comes to eating, and I already run 20-25 miles per week, depending on how busy I am. I definitely need to practice going on some real marathon sessions though (gonna try and do at least 8 hours this friday coming up).

Intresting post phatjose

I to also seem to suffer from this lapse in concentration but have since combated it by:

Playing less MTT's and more STT's / Cash games

To me it may be your patience just hits a breaking point and you think F*ck it and you throw your KJ suited all in to a raise then a re-raise before your action (ok maybe a slight exaggeration)

Next you have to think about the standard and the reward for playing the game, maybe the stakes you play are to low and your basically just bored at that level and lust for something more challenging? I'm not saying play out of your bankroll, infact i would never encourage that but if you think its the stakes your playing in thats causing impatient play its worth considering.

Personally i hit the turbo tournaments hard during the week, 2 staggered at once which gives me a good 6-8 games an hour. That as you can guess keeps me busy so theres no chance of me getting restless and overplaying weak holdings, at the weekends i tend to concentrate on the MTT tournaments as this is when the bigger tournaments are usually hosted. Playing like this i feel i can't overdose on MTT's

Lastly, the day your playing an MTT i recommend you play no poker... Some may argue and say the warm up SNG's help you get in the mood but i think it has a reverse effect and tends to tire the brain a little before the main event.

sorry, I wasn't suggesting you get in shape, just said it reminded me of that advice. Playing for 5-6 hours one day is different from playing 16 hours a day for 2 weeks straight.

The part you seem to be having trouble with is mental concentration. We all have trouble concentrating for that long. Not sure how to work on that, but remember everyone else is at that point too.

True, everyone will be hitting this mental stage... its hard, especially if your finding yourself shortstacked, how many people just simply throw in the towel in the form of Ace Rag... they might as well throw a white cloth around there head and shout "SURRENDER"... Think about it if your A5 offsuit was a weak holding 1hr ago it still is, theres still 10 players there and the same amount of hands whether the table has tightend or not, i'm not saying dont loosen your play when the table tightens up just dont go downgrading your hands to a ridiculous level, the mental lapse is where most professionals change gear and start picking off the weak and vulnerable, don't let yourself be one of them, it all comes with experience and you will find yourself stronger at these stages of the tournaments as you get more table hours underneath your belt.

Be well rested a few hours before starting a MTT..
Light Exercise, and fresh air, even some oxygen in a bottle if you are serious!

Eat foods that are rich in the B vitamins, like spinach, broccoli and juicy melon. Antioxidants that are found in berries, tomatoes and green tea will improve the flow of oxygen to the brain, helping those synapses fire most efficiently.
Omega-3 fatty acids that are found in fish like salmon and tuna are known to improve cognitive function.

Stay away from heavy foods and Carbs. (No Potato Chips, Fried Chicken)
Avoid stuff that will spike your blood sugar levels also, since the inevitable crash will happen and make you tired and fatigued.

During the Breaks, freshen up with a cold water face wash or put your head in the freezer for a few seconds at a time.

And get a comfortable computer chair that has a massage pad use it when you need to loosen up when things get more intense later.

Lastly, take notes on players to ease the boredom of waiting for the next hand if you have folded. Review Hand History if there are players that are in a hand that are predictible.

~Hope these things give you some options next time you play MTT's~

See you guys are going about it the wrong way. You want to train and run and stuff like that. The secret to being able to last in a long tournament is to be a couch potato. And before you laugh think about it. Who else can sit for hours doing nothing except watch TV or play video games. They only get up to get something to eat and drink and pee. Couch pototos should be your fatigue coaches. They are pros at conserving energy. And in the long run they can outlast you at a table.

The problem with this theory is that you don't have to use your brain while watching TV or movies. You just sit there and either get board with what you're watching (change channels) or get into it somewhat.

Playing a lengthy poker tournament, live or online, is different. You have to pay attention to how the other players at your table play. You have to mentally calculate the odds for each hand based on both the cards you're dealt and the other players play. Additionally, the cards themselves do form patterns despite online randomness generated by the servers. (chaos theory)

Think about it. How many times have you seen suited A/K, a strong starting hand, turn out to be worthless based on the flop and turn? If you are aware of the pattern of the cards (esspecally in live games), you can maximize your winnings and mimimize your losses.

I once played in a live tournament (amateur league) where the best cards to hold and play were Kings or Fives on one of the tables. So if you were dealt K/5, suited or not, it behooved you to play the hand (normally I would fold them). I was able to use this 'observation' to my advantage and became the chip leader (on that table) because of it. (went out fourth after moving to a different table).

As to mental fatigue, I battle that by trying to have plenty of rest, eating well (but not to much which tends to make one drowsy), and minimizing distractions. This is why I prefer to have my computer in a separate room from the rest of the household, not that this is currently the case as my daughter moved back in with us temporarily, and thus this computer moved downstairs into the dinning room.

Advantage: close proximity to kitchen for food and beverage; next to back door so I can step out to smoke without having to sit out.

Disadvantage: Major distractions from other family members, and the TV in the living room, which I can hear.

The closer I get to getting paid in a big purse tournament, the more alert and less fatigue I feel. If I'm at a final table or close to it after 6 hours online, I feel like I'm on amphetamines.

I like the couch potato theory. During several tourneys my sweetie would hold a mirror under my nose to see if I'm still breathing. I really have no problem sitting at my computer for seversl hours playing poker. To reduce boredom and such I keep the lighting low to reduce the "deer in the headlights effect" and reduce distractions. the TV is on but the sound is very low. I'm 3 steps from the fridge and 10 steps from the bathroom. Always have a cold drink handy and a fresh pack of smokes and a huge ashtray. Chain smoking is a problem for me while playing online. At every break I walk around the house refresh my drink, empty the ash tray and generally goof off till its time to sit down again. If I'm still in tne tourney at "bubble time" the juices are flowing and I have no problem with fatigue from there till the end. In my job I am on my feet from start to finish so I look forward to "couch potato time" and playing some cards. Faitgue is a mental state that happens to effect the physical state. So get a comfy chair, grab a drink, spark one up ,and take other peoples money.

SLEEP

Sorry, this just isn't true.

I drink tons of coffee or red bull while playing.. works like a charm

i think the best is, if u have enough chips, is just get up and sit out for awhile, u need to take a break haha specially if u get headaches and crap, just get up and walk away get some food

I think the best way to get better at dealing with this, is like anything else... practice.

I think the logical way to be able to handle playing for long periods of time, is to treat it the same as anything else. Just keep working at it.

Although I don't know if that is the healthiest suggestion...

This does works well if you keep them coming....The downside however,
alot of bathroom breaks. One thing that kill me is eating big meals while
playing. (My wife's fault )Small snack only or my play just falls right off.

Drugs for people who take medication that have been diagnosed with ADHD, ADD, etc, can give ordinary people almost super-human focus. Similar drugs that aren't prescription have been taken off the market by the FDA in the USA, due to people who sought to home brew their own METH, but still can be found in retail markets.


Note: I'm talking about pills....not weed.

Oh trust me, I'm well aware of what this does to you.

redbullredbullredbullredbullredbull

i play 2/5 no lime for 33 hour staright the fist time i went out to vegas lots of vodka red bull and and u have to play alot of hand to keep interested

wow lots of great advice has been posted. I'll agree exercising and being in shape is a good thing and also helps you keep your mind clear and stay focus. I don't know about other people but If I start drinking energy drinks or coffeee they just make me more tired in the end.

When a break comes try doing as many pushups as you can to get the blood circulating throw your veins and to your brain again. This will give you energy and help you focus so you can play your best.

Gl Guys.

I just say Suck it up or Walk it off...

That works...

By the way...

RED BULL SUCKS!!!

Drink a Monster...that ACTUALLY has energy...Red Bull does not...and this is coming from a person who drinks a XXL Monster every day so you CANNOT prove me wrong...

i just eat and apple or gum drink a bottle of water and hear music, thats relax me

The only way to truly improve is to play more and more tourneys. Eventually, time won't even be an issue, especially if there is good action. But for an easier, less effective solution go with the pushups, those forearm grip strengtheners, or anything to keep the blood flowing.